Yellowjackets

If you have yellowjackets, this is what I recommend. Yellowjackets are often considered serious pests that have to be eliminated from your property. If you have children playing outside or if you are allergic to stings, then they should be removed and if so, you should call a professional as they can be dangerous.

When I lived in Corrales about 15 years ago, I was in a mobile home. There were four skunks living under the mobile home. They came out every night and roamed around the neighborhood making a living. In the morning they would come home and sleep under the mobile home. There were some feral cats in the neighborhood as well. I would put cat food out on the porch for the cats at night. Every night a skunk or two would join the cats to eat. Never any animosity at all. One night a raccoon showed up as well, so I put out more food. The raccoon, two skunks and two cats were regulars for supper every night. One day I put some cat food out for a stray cat I saw. The cat didn’t come to the food, but several yellowjackets dived right in. I have always seen a few yellowjackets around but didn’t pay much attention to them. The next day I put some more cat food out and more yellowjackets came, and they were coming from under the porch. Apparently, they had a nest under there the whole time. Pretty soon, when I came home from work around 3 PM, a large number of yellowjackets came out to meet me. They were never aggressive, just flying around waiting for the cat food. I put out four cans every afternoon and the yellowjackets loved it. I would sit on the porch reading the paper and a few would always fly around, land on the chair or on my shoulder, but never sting me. They spent the summer around the porch and never bothered anyone in the yard. I did put a sign on the gate that said “Beware of Yellowjackets” to discourage salespeople.

I had yellowjackets under the porch when I lived in Algodones. I have been feeding them chicken drumsticks and they have been eating them, even out of my hand and they were not at all aggressive. I had no reason to spray poisons to try to kill the yellowjackets.

I am not recommending this as they can be dangerous if they feel threatened. It is how I dealt with them when I lived in Corrales and Algodones.